


That Which Changes, That Which Darkens

by ShippingsandDeamons



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Original Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-04-03 17:49:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 20,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14001354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShippingsandDeamons/pseuds/ShippingsandDeamons
Summary: It started out as a rivalry - a battle between equally sharp wits. Then it became a partnership founded on mutual trust. Now the bod between detective and phantom thief must change yet again. Now if only the remains of the crow flock would leave them alone, unfortunately for them, no such luck.





	1. The Fall of the Black Flock

“We could die doing this, you do realize this, right?” 

Conan stared at the paradoxile thief loitering in front of him. 

“It crossed my mind maybe once or twice.” KID shrugged.

The little detective made a frustrated sound. He was trying to be serious here!

“So then why are you helping me?” He pressed. “I know you have your own goal to achieve, and you can’t do that dead.”

“Ahhh~ Tantei-kun is worried about me!” KID mewled playfully. “Now I can die happy!”

“KID! I’m being serious here!”

“Calm down Meitantei, I was just trying to lighten the mood.” Kid replied. “But, to answer your question, I’m doing this because I care about you. You’re the first person who really understands’s me and the goal I wish to achieve. I would rather be with you at your side than hide away and potentially watch you die.”

Conan felt warmth tint his cheeks a light rose color. He hadn’t realized he’d become just as important to the thief as said theif had become to him. The thought of losing the person before him made his heart sting, but there was no better place he’d rather have him than at his side. It just goes to show how deep the trust between them ran if they were willing to risk death for one another.

“Alright.” He sighed.

KID flashed him his trademark grin, all teeth and charisma. Conan fished the pill container out of his pocket. He had a single temporary antidote, he needed to be his true self to be of any use in the takedown scheduled for a few hours from now. He shot his companion a bashful look as he swallowed the pill. This would be the first time he’d be turning into Shinichi before the thief.

“With any luck, we’ll both be walking away from this alive and with a sample of apoptoxin 4869.”

“It’s a good thing I’m Lady Luck’s favorite then.”

 

If anyone were to tell Shinichi prior to the tropical land incident that he would end up having a partnership built on trust with a wanted criminal, he’d probably advise them to get their head checked, or assume they were on a hallucinogen of some kind. That didn’t mean he felt any less secure or comfortable with the white theif at his side, both of their gun’s drawn. He even smiled as he felt KID’s arm brush against his own.

Jodie-sensei had done nothing more than raising an eyebrow at the thief's presence at his side. Good, he would have brought KID with him with or without the FBI agent’s consent.

“My my, both Cool Guy and a certain White Phantom, what a pleasant surprise.” A familiar voice commented.

Vermouth stood before them, smirking. 

“Vermouth,” He stated.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to stop you, it would be useless to try and destroy a silver bullet after it’s been fired.” The blond woman replied. “I’m just here to point you in the direction of what you seek. It should be in the lab on the floor below us.”

“And make sure to give my regards to Sherry, I hope she enjoys her new life.”

The pair watcher her leave, doing nothing to stop her. Not that there was much they could have done in the first place.

 

Just as Vermouth had promised, the lab below them had several vials of the prototype poison. Shinichi handed a vile to KID before pocketing one of his own.

“Just in case, I’m not the only one who want’s a permanent antidote to this stuff.”

“Oh? And why might that be?” A smooth voice asked.

Akai Shuuichi stepped into the lab from his position at one of the doorways.

“Ley’s just say this position doesn’t always kill, and those that live have to deal with an annoying side effect.” Shinichi responded.

KID snorted from his position at the detective’s left.

Akai eyed him carefully, then nodded. 

“So you and Science-San aren’t the only ones with age problems?” The thief inquired.

“No, you know Masami Sera?”

“The lady detective who often dresses like a man?"

“Yeah, her. Her mom was fed the position and lived.”

The thief snorted, apparently the thought of a full-grown woman being reduced back to the size of a 6-year-old was amusing. Then again KID did have a few bolts missing.

 

“So then, with this it’ll be all over, I’ll be able to return to my old life?” Conan asked, staring at the green and black pill in his hand.

“The antidote will undo the fact of the poison, it won’t actually return you to your old life. Undoing time is impossible.” Haibara said.

His fellow faux child stared at him.

“You do know you want bo the same person you were before all this, right Kudo-kun?” She asked.

“Yeah, I realized that truth a long time ago.” He replied. But, I still want to return, even if I can’t have the life I once did, I can’t remain as ‘Conan’ and stay happy.”

“Well, ultimately it is your choice, I’ve already sent Sera-San on her way with an antidote.” The girl replied.

“And I assume you’ll not be taking the antidote.”

Haibara nodded. She didn’t have anything to return to, no bridges not already burned to cinders. At least now she could live the life she’d been denied before- a chance at a childhood and a chance to do good. She’d live the remainder of her second childhood with the hakasa, where she was happy and loved.

“Well then, I’ll be heading home now. See you tomorrow.” He called over his shoulder.

She watched him as he retreated out the door. Then turned to her computer. She wasn’t going to destroy the data on apoptoxin 4896 and the antidote, but she was going to hide it- lock it away and throw away the key. The FBI had never been able to recover the original data on the poison. She prayed that simply meant it had been destroyed, but as long as the possibility of an ex BO member having the formula to such a dangerous thing, she couldn’t bring herself to destroy her own data.

 

Apprehensive, he locked the door to his room, but left the window untouched. If he chose to show up, a lock wouldn’t mean anything. Stripping off his clothes and leaving them in a heap on the floor, Conan swallowed the green and black pill quickly and then crawled under the covers. This would be the last time he’d assume this size, the last time he’d have to think of himself as anything other then Kudo Shinichi. 

The pain hit him all at once, ripping the air from his chest as he convulsed, unable to make even the slightest sound of pain. He’d known this would happen, and while this time around the pain was greater, it was still as familiar as before. The blankets knotted around him as his boy seized up. His bones once more felt like they were liquidizing as his boy began feeling like a roaring inferno, he could feel his limbs shift and stretch as the transformation started.

He was only human, so it was no surprise to him when his consciousness began slipping away. It would be a long and painful process after all. 

Would he wake up in company or awaken alone?


	2. Magic Under the Moonlight

He’d swallowed the antidote around mid-afternoon. He woke around moonrise to the quiet sounds of his window sliding open and the soft ripple of long fabric in a breeze. On cat’s feet, the familiar white-clad thief entered, fave masked by the usual visor of shadows made by the brim of his silk top hat. The grin on his face wasn’t the usual trademark kid grin that was all teeth and confidence and charisma. No, this one was was softer, like a lover’s fond smile. 

“Greetings, Meitantei,” KID greeted.

The white thief padded over quietly to the edge of his bed and sat down, an eyebrow raised. The detective was reminded of the situation he’d found himself in. Not only was he very much nude under his covers, but the blankets were no longer knotted around his body in a cocoon-like fashing. Somehow the blankets had been smoothed out, almost as if a person had deliberately done just that. But who would do that? The only people close enough where Haibara and the professor next door and neither of them would- actually, never mind, that sounded exactly like something Haibara would do just to tease him.

Why was the thief even here anyway? He’d only just received the antidote that day and hadn’t bothered to contact anyone about the good news. He’d also been asleep for most of the day and unable to contact anyone until just now… Unless ‘she’ had a part in this. She had been teasing him about his new relationship with the thief lately, as though she’d noticed something about his feelings that he wasn't aware of.

“Haibara told you she’d finished the cure, didn’t she.” He didn’t bother phrasing is as a question, it fit better as a statement.

KID’s smile widened ever so slightly.

“A certain someone might have attracted the attention of one of my doves with the promise of a treat, and then attached a letter informing me that Tantei-kun would be leaving and Meitantei returning,” Kaito KID admitted in a roundabout sort of way.  
“But I’m glad she did, I did get the chance my Meitantei at his most enchanting.”

Warmth colored his cheeks a bright rose red color, and suddenly he was self-conscious of the fact that he was only ‘dressed’ in a few blankets. For some reason he didn’t fully understand, being called ‘my meitantei’ made him feel more than a little giddy inside. Why?

He wasn’t the only detective that had chased after him, he just happened to be the best at it. But KID never referred to Hakuba or Nakamori-Keibu so possibly. What made him different.

“Thank you.” He said. “For being here as I woke up.”

“Anytime, Meitanatei,”

His blush darkened and he wrapped the blankets tighter around him. Had KID always had this effect on him? The ability to reduce him to a flustered mess with words and presence alone? (No, that time during the second Black Star heist did not count, the thief had used the illusion to his best friend being without clothes, and had even provided ladies undergarments to further add validity to the deception). The entire situation at hand was confusing, maybe Ran was right in her statement that he was romantically dense? Wait- how did that answer the question of how KID was affecting him? Unless… No, not going down that rabbit hole just yet!

Suddenly, KID’s face was a mere 5 inches from his own face.

“Penny for your thoughts?” The thief asked, holding the aforementioned American currency.

“I-it’s nothing.” He mumbled, turning away from the azure-indigo orbs staring intently at him.

“Really~?” KID purred. “And what kind of ‘nothing’ would that be?”

Shinichi opened his mouth to retort, but found the words dry up like a puddle in the middle of August. The expression KID wore, even if the thief hadn’t intended it to be, could only be described as seductive. Mouth parted by a small smirk, eyes half-lidded behind the mobile and shadows, cheeks dusted with the barest traces of color. He squirmed as the thief leaned in closer to him.

“What the matter? Cat got you toung~?” KID drawled.

Those indigo eyes had him transfixed, pinned like a butterfly. It was all he could do to not give in to impulse. The fand reaching over and readjusting the blanket that had slipped off his shoulder was what broke his last bit of self-control. He leaned forward.  
It wasn't so much a kiss as it was him chastely pressing their lips together for a moment or two. Before he could fully pull away and begin regretting his action, one hand was at the back of his head while another was at the small of his back, keeping him trapped just inches from the thief, their faces close enough for the other’s breath to ghost across his lips. The phantom thief’s intense gaze left him feeling not like a pinned butterfly, but like a gem that the other wanted very much to claim as his own.

Hadn’t the thief once liked his eyes with a pair of gemstones once? Had it been sapphires or taranzites? Maybe it was a different gem altogether.

It wasn’t exactly silence that settled around them, the pounding of his heart and the roaring of blood in his ears was far to loud to allow such silence. But there was tension, it was thick enough you could almost touch it. In the farthest reaches of his mind a part of him slyly remarked that Sonoko would murder him if she could see them now, she was one of KID’s most dedicated fanatics.

Shyly, one hand released its death-grip on the blankets and came to rest on KID’s left shoulder, then the other.The blanket around his torso fell away his hands resumed their death grip on the thief’s snow colored mantle. The thief pulled them closer together, chest pressed up against chest, lips mere millimeters from each others. KID gave him a glance, silently asking for permission, which the detective pressed up against him gladly gave.

This time it was a kiss. Both participants angled their heads to opposite sides to better lose themselves. It was a chaste kiss, one side meek and hesitant while the other explored his boundaries. He could practically feel their synchronize heartbeats as he was displaced from his bed and onto a certain person’s empty lap. Before long, the chastity of this interaction dissolved away as KID teased his bottom lip with his teeth, seeking further permission. He responded to this prompt by simply ajarring his lips ever so slightly.

The taste of chocolate and cinnamon greeted him as their tongues began to dance. His breath came out in airy, gasping puffs and he immersed himself in the blaze of passion pooling in his chest. Their position changed, the hands remained as he was pushed back into the bed, light kisses fluttered against the arch of his jaw. The curve of his right ear was traced out with wet, warm lines before his neck was assaulted. The thief’s favorite places to nip and bite at where the once where the major blood vessels were closest to skin; the places that elicited the loudest noises from him. The hand on his back began to move, sending sparks down the ridges of his spine as gloved fingers mapped out trails and paths.

The vice he had on the – his – Thief’s neck and shoulders tightened as the hand on his head wandered lower and lower until a gloved thumb was printing circles on his left hip through the blanket still present. His thief licked a stip over the bob of his throat, left hand grasping the blanket that remained on him, asking for permission one final time.

Everything else after that was passion and pleasure. KID grinned and sighed as his detective made sounds no one else had every heard him make. Noises he wished only he would hear. The legs around his hips locked tighter and the body beneath him arched further into his chest as it was pressed deeper into the sheets below.

 

The moon was beginning its journey home. Kid brushed out any wrinkles or folds in his still spotless suit. Meitantei rested peacefully in his bed, covers tucked up snuggly past the sleeping detective’s chin. The thief still felt a few pricks of guilt as he studied the other’s sleeping face, despite his detective’s insistence in his last moment of lucidity that he had consented.

“You really do know how to get me worked up, Meitantei. He mused.

It had been nice while it lasted, but all wonderful things must come to a close. A single red rose was all that he left behind as the thief made his exit through the window he’d entered through. Locking it, the white phantom began his treck home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ride attendant voice* please keep your groaned and/or squeals to yourself until the next chapter or two. you'll understand why then.


	3. Black Spell of Truth

The taste of coffee and hazelnut lingered gingerly on the back of his tongue, the taste of his dear meitantei. He’d done a good job of keeping his poker face up, and his fingers had strayed to his lips only on a few sparse occasions. He could still recall the warmth of the detective’s body, pressed up against his own, of soft lips shyly opening for him. Even the sounds the other had made for him had followed him into sleep, lingering like a morning mist. 

Kuroba Kaito ignored the fearful gazes of his fellow classmates in favor of losing himself in his thought. Only a select few looked at him with anything other than fright or worried. Aoko watched him with concerned eyes, Hakuba with suspicion in his analytical gaze, and Koizumi observed him with passive curiosity. There was no way for them to know what – who – it was that occupied his thoughts, even if the two who suspected (Hakuba) or knew (Koizumi) of his secret identity as the elusive Kaito KID. Only a select few knew of his relationship with the high school detective, and all of them were in said detective’s inner circle.

How deep did his affection for – his – meitantei run?

He still partially blamed the events of the previous night on pheromones brought on by the hormones of the newly cured detective. And as tidy of an explanation that it was, it didn’t explain why the other’s face of ecstasy and pleasure lingered in his mind like a tempting snack. He’d need time to sort out his own thoughts before talking with the detective again, it wouldn’t do to act now and potentially lead him on with feelings that might not actually be as passionate as they looked.

With a quiet sigh, Kaito turned his attention towards the chalkboard. He didn’t actually need to pay attention to the teacher’s lecture, but it was a way to take his thoughts away from the confusing matters of his own heart for a short while. Aoko would probably confront him about his quiet spell after class… Meh, he’d deal with it later.

 

This was it; the moment of reckoning. He’d tried to talk himself out of it, to hide away and put this conversation off for another day. But that would be cruel to her, the person he needed to talk to the most. The girl he had to come clean to. The lies had pilled up, and Ran would be hurt – no doubt about it, but the organization was for the most part gone, he had no more excuses to keep on listening to her. No matter the outcome, he had to do this. No more running away.

He watched the girl in question enter the living room. Something in her eyes light up when she saw him, the real him, but there was another part that darkened. She could see that he wasn’t the same person she’d watched runoff that fateful day. But she herself had changed, no longer the same girl who’d waited an eternity for his return.

Ran sat down without a word, the ball was in his court. He’d left a few things out of his story, like who Haibara actually was, and her exact relationship with Miyano Akemi. And what had transpired between him and a certain another person, but he’d planned on not telling anyone about it. He watched as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, knuckles turning white as her hands shook with tension.

“So, you didn’t trust me enough to tell the truth?”

She was right, in a way.

“I suppose so, even if my intention was to just keep you out of danger.” He replied.

“You selfish bastard!” She snarled, practically baring her teeth at him like an animal.

“Ran, please calm-“ She tried to coax her.

“No! You listen here mister, I am not a damsel in distress! I might have a crippling fear of ghosts and ghouls, but I have the skill to more than defend myself from people!” She shouted. “Do you know how much it hurt to wonder where in god’s green earth you were, if you were safe or even alive? Not knowing that you were right there by my side?! Well let me tell you something, it was agonizing! Was it fun to watch me pine after you like a lovesick idiot?”

“It wasn’t-“

“You trusted Agasa to keep it secret! You trusted your parents! You trusted Hattori- you even trusted Kaito KID! So why didn’t you trust me? Was my suffering really that much of a joke to you? Was I really that unimportant to you that you’d just keep me in the dark like that? And that isn’t even touching upon how you used Sonoko and my dad like you did- like fucking puppets! Is that all I am to you- all anyone is to you? Toys for you to play with and get amusement from?”

“Ran-“

“Well it wasn’t funny to me! It wasn't funny to have to wait, scrambling for every phone call thinking it might be the last! And it sure as hell wasn't funny how you used me-“

“Do you think it was easy for me to watch you?!” He screamed back.

Ran recoiled, eyeing him.

“I’ll admit, yes I didn’t trust you, but do you really think it was easy for me to watch you pine for me day in and day out? To be so close but unable to give you closure? Well let me assure it that it wasn’t any easier on my end. I’d wanted to tell you the truth so badly after that first night, but fear for your safety one out in the end.

“I have no doubt that you’re a capable person, I’ve seen you break concrete with your fists remember! But you’re still human, and the people I was hiding from, they’d kill you as easily as though it was nothing. You know that one lawyer who died and his murderer was killed? You know how their immediate families were killed and their homes were burned to the ground? That was the black organization's doing. They had born assassins in their ranks- people raised and molded to kill! Vermouth wouldn’t be able to keep you safe forever, she’s only one person after all.

“I told Agasa the truth because I had no one else to run to- I’d just been turned into a kid for god’s sake! Agasa told my parents behind my back. Both Hattori and KID figured out my secret on their own. Haibara reminded me that I had to keep the number of people who know small, the more people who knew the more likely it was for something to slip. I used your dad and Sonoko because I had no other way, as a kid no one took me seriously and ‘Shinichi’ had to stay out of the public eye. I’m sorry I had to lie to you- I really am, but my back was against a wall and I had to make decisions that could potentially determine if people close to me lived or died.”

He looked away from his friend in shame. He hadn’t intended to snap at her like that, but it had hurt to hear her accuse him of being heartless. He’d did what he thought was right at the time, it wasn’t like he could undo past action.

“You’re right, I didn’t stop to think what you had to go through,” she said.

He turned to look at her in disbelief.

“But it did hurt, the lies and the waiting. I’m not sure if I’m ready to forgive you just yet, I… I need some time to think.” She sighed.

“Take all the time you need.” He responded. “It would have been extremely selfish of me to expect you to understand right away. You have every right to make me wait for a change. I don’t expect things to be the same, but I do hope we can continue being friends. As Conan you’d become a big sister to me, Ran-neechan.”

She gave him a thankful look.

“I’ll be going then, see you at school tomorrow… Shinichi.”

He watched her leave wistfully. It hurt, but not as bad as he’d expected it to. He didn’t feel that same about her, not after 2 years of living as her little brother. And then there was a certain phantom thief… What was KID to him?

Getting up, he retreated to the library. He still had some make-up work to finish. After all, he didn’t want to be held back a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shinichi and Ran were probably out of character, but to be fair if he does ever tell her the truth, if isn't going to go over smoothly.


	4. What is Normalicy?

Returning was the easy part. Staying was the hard part. Sonoko had been giving him a glare that could cut through glass from the moment he’d entered the classroom. Obviously Ran hadn’t told her the entire story, but just enough for her to know that he’d hurt her. The others were giving him curious glances. Well, he had been missing in action for almost 2 full years now, and he certainly wasn’t acting like the same egotistical brat they’d remembered him to be.

With a quiet sight he turned his gaze to the chalkboard. He’d managed to finish the rest of his make-up work, and the rest of today would be spent taking the tests he’d missed. He wasn’t worried about his grades, but returning to his life was still a daunting trial. The teacher walked in per usual, eyes faltering over him for a few seconds during attendance, and then the lesson began as if this wasn’t the first time he’d been in this class.

 

“Everything looks fine so far.” Haibara informed him. “Now roll up your sleeve,”

Nodding he complied and rolled his shirt sleeve up to the elbow. This was the first of several check-ups Haibara demanded he go through periodically, to make sure his body was recovering properly from the cure. School was done for the day, and so far everything checked out okay, there was still the blood test left.

He was almost certain the teen-turned-girl was taking more blood than she actually needed, but he’d rather stay on her good side so he kept his mouth shut. She could be a hellspawn when she wanted to be. Once that was over and done with, he all but bolted from the basement, preferring to spend no more time in there than absolutely necessary.

 

Her eyebrows crinkled together as she reviewed the data a second time. He knew her well enough to know it wasn’t a bad kind of furrowing of the brows, but something had caught her attention, something that puzzled her. When her eyes finished scanning the papers for the second time, the faux child let out a sight.

“So far everything checks out okay,” He could hear the ‘but’ in her voice loud and clear.

“Something odd came up in the blood test, it isn’t anything I’m worried about, but do tell me if you start feeling strange, okay?”

“Yes doctor, I’ll make sure to let you know.” He replied humorously.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, and smiled.

“Alright Kudo-kun, you’re free to go.”

 

“Hey Holmes-freak.” Sonoko called.

He watched the heiress saunter over to him as though it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. Without warning she slammed a hand onto his desk with a resounding ‘thunk’, the power behind it capable of rivaling a punch from Ran. She withdrew her palm, leaving behind a slip of paper.

“KID-sama sent out a heist notice and I want you to solve it for me.”

Like a night lark on silent wings, beckoned by the rising moon  
I will come to claim the grandest of treasure; a fallen star  
In a castle of glass and bells, a slumbering dragon  
Think you can stop me? Come and try, if you dare  
Kaito KID

Shinichi hummed. It was one of the phantom’s simpler notes. He’d have to look into gems with names relating to stars and dragons later, as well as look into the potential heist’s location. Well, class was about to start, he’d do that after school.  
“I need to do a bit of research first, so can this wait until after school?” He asked.

Sonoko nodded hesitantly before returning to her seat. He slipped the notice into his pocket.

 

Sonoko was glaring at him as he typed a few things up into the search bar. He was certain the target was the spring star, a large green sapphire with a cut that resembled dragon scales. It was going to be on display in the ‘Heaven's Castle’ Museum this coming Sunday. The building in question had lots of large windows, and the architecture was inspired by europian castles. It even has a clock tower that rang out with a different chime every hour.

Moonrise was probably the time the heist would take place.

“If I deciphered it correctly, the heist should be at Heaven's Castle this Sunday sometime after 8:30.” He said.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as the girl in question began to swoon and go off on a tangent about her “Beloved KID-sama!” The left corner of his mouth quirked up ever so slightly. He partly contemplated telling her that he’d worked with the thief while he’d been ‘undercover’, but then dismissed the idea. She’d raise hell if he told her.

Ran shot him an apologetic look. A silent “Sorry about this”. He merely smiled at her a shook his head. “No need to be”.

For a second he thought about joining them. Then quickly squashed the idea. Things were still tense between him and Ran, and Sonoko would probably throw a fit. She was still angry at him for breaking her friend’s heart. And he had no reason to attend alone. Kudo Shinichi was a homicide detective, he had no interest in non-violent thieves. Then there was also the matter of the events that had transpired the night of his return. He’d just stay home.

 

“If you want to go, just go.”

“But there is no reason for Kudo Shinichi to attend a KID heist, that was Conan’s thing.”

Haibara rolled her eyes.

“And? I don’t think you need a reason to see your beloved thief.” She countered.

He felt his cheeks heat up. He was still uncertain about his emotions in relation to said thief.

“But it’ll be strange if I suddenly show interest in thieves all of a sudden.” He shot back.

“So? Just say you and your cousin Conan talked about him and it sparked your interest.”

He groaned. Everything was coming back to Conan in the end. Why did the world have to constantly remind him of the one thing that had caused him so much grief? He’d excepted that his time spent as Conan Edogawa would always be a part of him, but that didn’t mean he had to like having the time constantly shoved into his face!

“Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“No, teasing you is to much fun.”

He threw a pillow that the faux child, she dodged it with ease.

“Taking it out on me isn’t going to resolve the sexual tension between you two.” She chided.

“W-w-w-what?! There is nothing like that between us!” he squeaked.

“Fine, fine, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“Haibara!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haibara's teasing was more fun to write than it probably should.


	5. Purpose of Possibuility

Ran did eventually forgive him. She’d showed up on his doorstep a month and a half after the confession. Sonoko took another half month to warm back up to him after that. And for another month after that everything seemed fine. Heji and Kazuha had visited once or twice, dripping in on them out of the blue. Several times his friends (sonoko) had tried to talk him into attending a KID heist, but he had refused. He still wasn’t 100% certain on his feeling for the thief, but it was looking like those feelings weren’t as platonic as he’d hoped they would be.

And then things took a turn for the strange. The odd feeling in his abdomen began a week after the two-month mark. It wasn’t pain or sickness, just an odd sensation that would come and go a few times per day. As promised, he did mention them to Haibara, who couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary besides the weird data from the blood test, the reading had persisted, but never changed. She let him go after wrestling a promise from him to keep his stress levels as low as possible. 

 

Shinichi curled into himself. Waking to got churning nausea was not his idea of an ideal morning. Thankfully his stomach was mostly empty thanks to a light dinner the previous night, so he didn’t need to run to the nearest bathroom. After several minutes of slow breathing and racing heartbeats, the nausea melted away. Groaning, the detective sat up. It was just a little over three months after his return to being Shinichi, and this hadn't been the first morning with him waking up ready to upheave his guts. 

Hopefully, this wasn’t some latent side effect of the cure, he really didn’t need that at the moment.

Sighing, the high school detective heaved himself out of bed. Today was a Haibara appointment day, he’d talk to her about it then. Maybe she knew why he was going through what essentially felt like morning sickness? As he was buttoning up his dress shirt, the teen paused. It was the same odd feeling again. One hand fell flat against the curve of his stomach as he waited, thoughtless, for the sensation to pass.He’d been doing that a lot lately, placing a hand on his stomach when the feeling came. For some reason it made his chest feel particularly warm and fuzzy. Haibara had chalked it up to hormones. The feeling left him not even a minute later and he resumed getting dressed.

Trudging down the stairs, his first motion after entering the kitchen was to plug in the coffee maker. He wasn’t a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, and before the ‘incident’ often needed two or more cups of what everyone else dubbed ‘liquid shadows’ before starting his day. One good thing had come from his Conan incident, being banned from having too much coffee meant he’d curbed most of the addiction. It still didn’t stop him from having a cup of the black drink every morning. Normally he drank his coffee as is, but last week he’d found himself adding a pinch or two of salt in, and today was no exception. Why he did this, he didn’t know, but for some reason it made the coffee taste better, and he somewhat craved it, so he just shrugged it off.

He managed to eat the two pieces of toast he’d made for breakfast before losing himself in the book he was reading, effectively eating up the rest of his morning free time. Ran would make sure he ate lunch and Haibara would bully him into not skipping dinner. And if it wasn't either of those two making sure he was eating properly, it was a random officer at the police station making sure he didn’t skip meals.

 

“And when did the nausea start?” Haibara asked.

“Friday, I think.” He answered.

Haibara held her chin as she pondered over this new information.

“And it’s only happened in the morning?”

“Yes.”

The child pursed her lips. He could see how fast the gears of her mind were turning as she narrowed her eyes. 

“I’ll look into it after we’re done here.” She said finally.

 

It was close to seven at night when she got her answer. The anomaly was a type of hormone the body naturally recreated inside the body under certain circumstances. At first she was fearful for her friend’s life, because for men the hormone was normally only secreted by a certain form of cancer, but he’d tested negative for the other signs of cancer, so it was quickly ruled out. So she was left with her other answer, and it did explain the high levels of certain other hormones. Unfortunately this answer also left he wondering how, because by all rights it shouldn’t be possible. 

There was one way to confirm if she was right or not. With a sigh she got up from her chair and left the basement in search of Agasa-hakasa. He’d be able to build the piece of equipment she needed, if not by the end of tonight than by the end of tomorrow. 

She found the man in question in his workshop.

“Oh, Ai-chan, what is it?”

“I need you to make something for me,”

She leaned up on the tips of her toes to whisper into the older man’s ear. To say he looked surprised at her request was an understatement.

“I can have it done by tomorrow afternoon.” He answered.

“Good, thank you.”

At least that was one hurdle over with, now to Call Kudo-kun.

“Haibara, what do you need?” The teen in question asked over the phone.

“There’s something I want to try, it should give us the answer to your problem. Can you come over tomorrow after school?”

“Yeah, I should be able to. See you tomorrow then.”

She placed the phone back in its cradle. If her hypothesis was right, then maybe it was a good thing she’d decided to not take the cure after all. Unless it was because of Kudo’s insistence on using the temporary antidote so many times, unfortunately there was no way to confirm or deny this.

“Well, if I’m right, then Kudo is not hearing the end of it.


	6. A Miracle Called Life

It was more than a little disappointing to see that meitantei wasn’t attending his heists, but it might be for the best. Kudo Shinichi was the one who’d always get the closest to him, and after that night close to three months back, Kaito wasn’t sure he was ready to face him just yet. He’d contemplated sending a dove, or even going himself, to check up on the high schooler, but had decided against either. It was best to just give him space, if the Heisei Holmes decided he’d be willing to pursue a different kind of partnership with the thief, then he’d come on his own. 

Snake was still at large, he had his men had evaded capture during the takedown – somehow. At least he wasn’t as active as he’d once been, so he had been affected. It made the hunt for pandora somewhat easier.

Things had, for the most part, returned to a sense of normalcy. He’d managed to outwardly return to normal, easing Aoko of her worry. Hakuba hadn’t confronted him yet, but it was clear by the way the blond watched him that he wasn’t buying the act. Akako on the other hand, apparently found his soul searching to be amusing, she’d constantly watch him with one of her calculating smirks.

Today was supposed to be like any regular day. Instead Koizumi decided to waltz up to his desk with one of her knowing smiles. It wasn’t that uncommon for her to do, she was always giving him prophecies and the like (and as much as he would rather deny, lately he’d been taking said predictions into consideration when making plans). 

“Lord Lucifer told me something interesting the other day, something I’m sure you’ll find interesting.” She said.

He scoffed, putting on an act of indifference. She knew he was doing this to keep his secret safe.

“You’re beloved raven in beginning to nest, a healthy dove’s child safe and warm beneath soft downy.” She started.

This earned her a raised eyebrow from the magician. He had an idea who the ‘raven’ was, and dove probably meant him, but even knowing that, the prophecy made no sense.

“Be warned, though, the lingering crows are not happy to lose their flockmates, and a weakened raven is an enticing target.”

It wasn’t that surprising to hear the that unaccounted for members of the BO were planning something, but it was surprising that they'd waited this long. Maybe he should send that dove to go check up on meitantei.

 

He’d made his way over to the Hakasa estate as soon as school let. He’d made sure to keep his expectations nonexistent because he wasn’t quite sure what it was Haibara wanted to try. Still, being led into her makeshift lab to find what he was pitty sure was a homemade ultrasound machine was not what he’d been expecting. He eyed the reddish brunet questioningly as she dragged him by the hand to the cot she’d set up in place of a hospital bed. 

“I at the very least need your shirt off of your stomach.” The tiny scientist ordered. “I need to go get something.”

He watcher her leave the room before sitting down. If this was a joke, it wasn’t very funny (he hoped it was a joke, buts the implications of this being serious was not something he wanted to think about). He undid the buttons on his shirt up to about his sternum, his blazer was tossed over an end of the cot. Haibara returned a few minutes later with a blue squeeze bottle.

“You aren’t doing this as part of a joke, right?”

“Kudo-kun, does this really seem like something I’d do for fun?”

“… Not really.”

“Good.”

He managed to not completely flinch away as she smeared the (freezing) cold blue gell over his stomach. She wiped her hands on a beat up rag, an old dish towel maybe, before proceeding. Thankfully it didn’t blow up the moment she switched it on, and after (Agasa’s creations did have that unfortunate risk to them). Nothing showed up right away as she pressed the detached end up against his gel coated skin, but after a few seconds of waiting, a grainy image came into focus.

Haibara snorted as she watched him nearly fall off the cot in shock.

“Seems my hunch was right. Congratulations Kudo, your pregnant.”

 

The list of people he had to call in this sort of situation was painfully short, even before he mentally started crossing names off. Haibara and Agasa were out because they already knew, and weren’t exactly the kind of people who could help him work his thoughts out. Heiji was a no go not only because of the distance, but because he didn’t need the Osakan's er, ‘jubulant’ reactions. His parents were out for similar reasons; he didn’t have the energy to put up with their insanity at the moment. Sonoko was out because she didn’t even know about the whole Conan fiasco.

That left Ran. He didn’t have a reason to cross her name out.

Picking up a phone from its cradle, he waited with baited breath for her to pick up.

“Moshi Moshi,” A familiar voice asked from the other end.

“Ran, it’s me,”

“Shinichi? What do you need?”

He hesitated a moment, then let out a sight.

“Can you come over to my house right now? I need to talk to someone and you’re the only person I can think of and trust enough at the moment.”

There was a pause for silence, then a warm “I’ll be right over!”

The line went dead so he placed the phone back in its cradle. It would take Ran somewhere between 7 and 12 minutes to get to the Kudo manor. Might as well make tea. With that thought in mind, he wandered into the kitchen.

Ran arrived 9 minutes later, right when the tea had cooled to the perfect temperature for drinking. She played the role of the patient saint perfectly as she let him go through the motions of pouring tea and gathering his nerves. Eventually, he ran out of things to do.

“So, what is it you wanted to talk about? Does it have to do with that thing you needed to do after school?” She asked.

He nodded. After staring at his drink for a moment, he finally looked at her.

“Yeah, Ran…”

How did he want to phrase this? How else could he put it?

“Ran, I’m pregnant, somehow.”

Ran smiled at him while her mind took a few seconds to process the new information. Then she jumped up, squealing. That… That was a better reaction than he’d hoped to get from her. Maybe after learning there was a drug that could shrink people, a guy having a baby wasn’t as surprising.

“Shinichi that’s amazing! How far along are you? And who’s the dad? Oh, and who else knows about it?”

Yeah, definitely a more positive reaction.

“The only people who know at the moment besides us is Haibara, and I think Agasa. I should be three months along, if her pinpoint was correct.” He explained.

He saw the way her posture perked up. He supposed it was understandable, this time she was one of the first he was confiding in for a big secret like this. At least, unlike with Conan, there was no threat of death this time around.

“You still haven’t answered my last question.”

He’d managed to dodge the bullet with Haibara. She was still in the dark about who he thought the father was, maybe he could get away with not telling Ran? Scratch that, the look she was giving him made it clear she’d wring the answer from him. Why did this have to happen again?

“Well, given the time frame, the only person I can think of is…” 

“Is?”

“KaitoKID!” He blurted, burying his face in his hands.

Ran blinked once, then a second time.

“Ehh!?”

“The day Haibara gave me the final antidote, she let KID know too, for whatever reason.”

He was already regretting this, but it could have been worse.

“We.. sorta did ‘it’ when I regained consciousness.”

He tempted a peek at Ran, and blanched at the killing aura radiating off of her in waves.

“When I get my hands on that bastard in white I’ll-“

“Ran! It wasn’t like that!”

“But Shinichi! He took advantage of you-“

“No. No he didn’t. I instigated it, and I consented to it. We were both at fault.”

“Mo, fine, I won’t kill him.”

“Thank you, I’d very much like to not send you away to prison for first-degree murder.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may now let out that groan and/or squeal you were holding in. Have a nice evening.


	7. Turning Gears of Choice

She hesitated a moment, before reaching for the phone. It was a bit of a gamble, but the person in mind was someone she felt she could trust. And had all the skill’s needed 6 months from now. She punched in the number, hoping the other hadn’t changed if in the time between the take-down and now. The phone rang once, then twice, by the third time she was prepared to hang up.

“Hello? “ An accented woman’s voice asked on the other end. “Who’s this and how can I help you?”

“Mead, it's me, Sherry.”

There was a pause.

“Sherry? You’re alive? That’s good to hear.” The other ex-organization member said cheerfully. “So, is this a courtesy call, or something else?”

“Mead, I’m going to be needing your skill in the not too distant future.” She said.

“Oh? Do you need me to come over right away?”

“No, your skill’s won’t be needed for another six months or so, can you be in Beika around then? I’ll call you again when I need you.”

“Okay, I’ll keep this number active until then, see you later, Shiho.”

“See you soon… Marua.”

Haibara placed the phone back on it’s hook. She was still a bit hesitant about bringing the other woman into this, Mead had wanted to leave the BO as much as she did, and had become a friend of sorts. She’d even tried to talk her out of going on strike when her sister died, trying to get her to see reason. But Mead was one of the best surgeons alive, and the only one she could think of to trust at the moment. She just hoped that her friend wouldn’t find trouble because of her.

 

She arrived at the Kudo manor as soon as her phone call was done with. She was pleasantly surprised to find the Mouri girl sitting in the living room with Kudo, the two of them pleasantly drinking tea together. She’d suspected the other girl would be the one he would choose to confined in, who else would he trust to take the situation in strides and calmly work through it?

“Oh, Ai-chan! Hi.” Ran said.

She nodded towards the coffee brunet, and padded over.

“I see Kudo-kun has informed you of his predicament.” She said.

“Have you managed to wrestler the father’s identity from him? He refused to tell me.”

Mouri-chan’s eyes twinkled. From the corner of her eye she could see the boy in question blanch. She’d banked on the Mouri girl getting an answer from him, not that she didn’t have an idea of who the culprit was, but she wanted to hear it anyway.

“Yes, the father’s Kaito KID.” She said with a smile.

Haibara smirked. Just as she’d suspected. It seems the two had done more than just talk that evening, a lot more.

“I had a suspicion that it was the thief, and it seems I was right.”

She looked Kudo in the eye.

“Sorry I didn’t foresee this, or else I would have advised him to use protection.”

The squwak she’d earned from the detective was more than worth the frustration and worry of the situation. Carrying on, she set the box she’d brought with her down onto the table. Inside was an assortment of colorfully colored vitamin supplements.  
“I created them myself, they’ll help provide nutrients for the baby.”

She handed the box over to Kudo, who took it gingerly. She gave him a soft look. This was a lot to take in, even by her standards. Just when he thought he could finally live a somewhat normal life, a lemon get’s thrown in the way. Heh, lemon.  
“Thanks.” Kudo murmured.

“I can inform your parents of the situation, if you don’t feel up to dealing with them.” She offered.

The teen detective shook his head.

“It’s fine, it’s better I tell them anyway.”

“Then I’ll tell Hattori,” Ran said. “It’s better well tell him now instead of waiting until he barges in.”

“That would before the best, oh, and Mouri-chan,”

“Yes Ai-chan?”

“Try and keep Kudo-kun from becoming too stressed, his body’s still recovering from the antidote, and the baby’s just thrown a wrench in that.”

 

Shinichi wasn’t sure whether to happy that he was only able to reach his father’s voice mail, or annoyed. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to deal with their reactions just yet.

“Dad, it’s me, your son.”

He sucked in a breath.

“It seems the antidote came with some unforeseen side effects- my life isn't in jeopardy or anything, but…”

Time to spit it out.

“I’m pregnant.”

He ended the message there, not much else he could say. Maybe, if his good luck held up, his parents wouldn’t board the first plane to Japan the moment they heard the voicemail. Except, he knew them too well, and that was exactly what they were going to do.

…

He didn’t have the energy for this. At least Hattori wasn’t going to board the first Train to Tokyo the moment he got the update from Ran, right? Right? Why did he have to be friends and/or family with some of the most eccentric people alive?

 

Somewhere in Osaka a dark skinned teen was alone in a park when a certain high school girl decided to call.

“Hattori? It’s me, Ran.”

“Hi nee-chan, what’s up?” Heiji asked.

“It’s about Shinichi, and his recovery from the antidote.” The was some hesitance to the girl’s voice.

“Oh? What’s wrong with Kudo?”

“The cure came with an unforeseen side asfect, and…”

Heiji raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“He’s about three months pregnant.”

“WHAT?! Kudo’s what now?!” Heiji shouted into his phone.

“Yeah, we only just discovered this today.” She explained. “He should be done calling his parents, I need to go- I’ll talk to you later!” 

“Hey! Wait a minute-“

He was silenced by the beeping receiver letting him know the call had ended. He stared at the device for a moment, pondering his course of action. Kazuha arrived not too long after. She watched her childhood friend angerly shove his phone into his coat pocket.

“Heiji, where are you going?” she asked.

“I’m gonna go take a train to Tokyo! Nee-chan and Kudo have some explaining to do!” He shouted back over his shoulder.

Sighing, the pony-tailed brunet shook her head. Better go with him just to keep him out of trouble.

 

Kudo Yukiko didn’t think of herself as a jealous woman, nor did she think her husband to be a bad man per say. But when he often came home from social events tipsy and with what she was almost certain was woman’s lipstick on his shirt collar, it was hard not to be suspicious of him. The aforementioned event had happened again, Yuusaku was sleeping on the couch with a pink stain (too bright to be a spill of wine). She had her husband’s cell phone in hand. It wasn't exactly snooping when he’d let her have it, now was it?

She was browsing his voicemails when her eyes fell upon one in particular. It was from their son Shinichi. It was unusual for him to call them, normally it was the other way around. Without putting much thought into it, she clicked the voice mail and placed the phone to her ear.

“Dad, it’s me, your son.” There was an odd pitch to her son’s voice, almost like fear.

What in the world could have her sone worked up like that?

“It seems the antidote came with some unforeseen side effects- my life isn't in jeopardy or anything, but…” Her son’s voice was hesitant. He normally was so confident and self-assured, even after his time as Conan.

“I’m pregnant.”

…What?

Yukiko let the phone fall into her lap as her mind raced. That hadn’t been a joke, right? It would certainly be out of character for him if it was, but… The way his voice had wavered, and how he’d hesitated, some motherly instinct told her it wasn’t a joke. Well then.

“Dear, get up.” She said, standing.

Her husband roused from whatever dream he’d been in groggy.

“What is it?” He asked.

“We’re going back to Japan, Shin-chan needs up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mead is a type of wine (I think) made with honey. Also, I'm sorry if Heiji and Kazuha's dialog is strange, but it'll be my first time trying to write in verbal dialects.


	8. Enter a Bloody Crow

There was a certain sense of monotony at his heists nowadays. Without his beloved meitantei there to act as a wild car, everything felt repetitive. The task force had long since fallen into their roles, even Hakuba had become predictable. Heists hadn’t become boring per say, planning and executing them was too fun to allow that, but without the thrill of playing cat and mouse with his favorite critic there, the adrenaline rush he’d once get was but a memory. Maybe he’d send meitantei a personal invite to his next heist? Then the detective would at least have no excuse for a now show.

He marched up the stairs two at a time, not really running but not quite walking. Nakamori and his men were still predisposed at the moment with a lovely little trick he’d devised with the use of glitter glue and black ducktape (I’ll leave the rest to your imagination), and tantei-san was tied up along with them. He’d rigged the stairs with enough traps and tricks that even once the taskforce was free, it would be a trial getting to the roof. He had no reason to rush with no one chasing at his heels. Arriving at the roof entrance, he pushed the metal door open. At least one thing hadn’t changed; how pretty the city looked from great heights such as this one. With the full moon in the sky and all the lights down below, it almost looked as though the stars had fallen from the sky to live down on earth.

He lifted the object of the heist, a large yellow sapphire called Honeyed Sun, toward the sky and watched a moonlight gained a yellow tint as it passed through the lovely stone. No red glow – another bust. With a sigh he returned the gem to its place in his pocket. Then a feeling of bloodlust washed over him.

He spun around and caught sight of a silloet veiled in shadows. Noticing that they were no long unnoticed, the person took several steps towards him. They stayed partly in the shadows, enough so that their fave was hidden by the darkness. His eyes narrowed. This person wasn’t Snake, their body to small and limber to be him, but he didn’t recognize them as one of the assassin's men either. The stranger’s body was very androgynous, to the point he didn’t know if he was in the presence of a man or a woman. They were dressed in black; black dress pants and an unbuttoned suit jacket over a crisp white shirt, a black tie fluttering in the wind. He was almost certain the person standing before him was a member of the black organization.

“And who might you be?” He asked coolly, watching them carefully from behind casually lidded eyes.

“You know me best as a crow,” They replied casually. “did you really think we’d all be captured during the takedown?” There was an almost playful tone in their voice.  
“No, I’m no fool.” He answered, narrowing his eyes.

“Good, I’d be disappointed if one of the two who heralded the destruction of the organization was a fool.

“So, is there a reason for this meeting? Not that I mind, ut I’ve found that your kind isn’t about witty banter without a reason.”

“My, my, s smart assumption, you are right, I have a reason for being here; to meet the elusive Kaitou KID.”

“A fan of mine then?”

“Hardly, I just needed to see with my own eyes the man who’s been a thorn in Snake’s side, and gage for myself what kind of foe you really are.”

He felt a chill at those words. This person was not someone to be taken lightly, something about them radiated an air of power- real power. They didn’t make idle threats, whatever promise they made, they had the power to back it up. What mess did he find himself in this time?

The person raised a gun, muzzle level with his chest. It wasn’t an ordinary firearm. It was probably like his card gun in that it didn’t use gunpowder nor shoot bullet.

“You’ve probably noticed it already, but my weapon isn’t an ordinary got.” They explained. “Like your own weapon, it isn’t a gunpowder-based firearm. I’m not sure how your card gun operates, but mine operated using pressure and air.” They flashed him a killer smile, moonlight glinting off pearly white teeth. “Only, mine doesn’t shoot cards.”

He leaned over to one side to avoid the projectile aimed at his cheek. He heard whatever it bounced against the handrailing with a dull chime, but at the same time heard a faint shattering sound, like a small and fragile object breaking.  
“I use magazines of frozen blood.”

His shoulders tensed. Frozen human blood, and effective enough people; it didn’t even need to hit anything vital to kill. All they had to do was ensure the ‘bullet’ broke skin, and the antibodies in the blood if incompatible would do the actual killing. Both gun and bullet were designed to kill whilst leaving minimal evidence.

Whatever they were, it was obvious they were a seasoned assassin; a real pro, unlike Snake.

Not taking his eyes off of his foe, be walked backward until he felt the railing. Flashing the person a KID grin, he fell backward over the railing. As his glider opened, he watched the person lean over the rail casually, smiling. They hadn’t put up a fight, nor had they tried to shoot him again; it was obvious they were letting him go this time. The meeting had been nothing more than an assessment of the playing field.

Somehow, his heists were going to get a rise in difficulty, if the stranger was replacing Snake as his new would-be assassin. And if they knew he had been part of the takedown, it was unlikely that even if they weren't aware of meitantei’s involvement, it would stay that way for long. Hopefully Shinichi and Science-san were keeping an eye on their backs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now enters out primary antagonist for the fic, we'll be properly introduced to them in a later chapter.


	9. No Quiet Morning

The first half of school slipped by in an uneventful haze. Fridays were like this, with the general state of 75% of the student population not quite Monday levels of tired, but close enough to it. Despite the fact he’d spent nearly the remainder of high school in the body of a child a decade younger than his actual age, Shinichi was not lagging behind in class, it was the opposite really. He was still excelling like the prodigy he was. After suffering through two years of elementary school repeat, High school classes were not quite so boring as they once had been. Still, by lunch he was done with it. Ran gave him a sympathetic smile as she fished out her lunch. 

“Let’s head up to the roof, the weather’s supposed to be bright and sunny for most of the after noon.” Sonoko said.

Despite the fact it might have been worded as a suggestion, anyone who even vaguely heard of Sonoko Suzuki could guess that it was a command. The heiress never just recommended something. At least it was a pleasant prospect, spending high noon outside on the roof, where the combination of sun and wind would be heavenly pleasant. He allowed the tea haired girl to drag him by the arm up the several flights of stairs – Ran following close behind them – up to the roof. No one else was up there, indicating that lunch would be relatively quiet (hopefully). Lunch passed them by in a similarly uneventful haze.

 

Sonoko wasn’t quite observing him, but glanced at the high school detective a little more than occasionally when her attention deviated from the chalkboard. Something about him seemed… Off. She wasn’t as inattentive as everyone made her out to be, and while it was the truth that she could often be lost deep within her own little world, she had functioning eyes and a working brain. She wasn’t quite sure what it was that screamed “abnormal”, but something did.

Unsurprisingly, Shinichi wasn’t exactly paying attention to the lesson. He might scribble a few notes her and there, but his attention was elsewhere for the most part, she could tell. A few times he would be lost in thought when something apparently surprised him and the hand underneath his jaw would gravitate to his stomach for a moment before returning. Something was up with the Holmes fan, and she was curious about what it was, she even suspected Ran might know, if the glances the other girl was giving him were any indication of such. But, for once, she decided she would not stick her nose in another person’s business.

If Ran and Shinichi wanted to keep a secret, then so be it. Somehow she got the feeling that sooner or later she’d find out what was up, either by some outside factor or by the two letting her in on it. Either way, she’d wait for the time being, her intuition wasn’t telling her it was urgent anyhow.

 

Saturday was quiet, er, that’s what it was supposed to be, at least. Ran had come over in the ‘ungody’ hours of the morning (8 am) with several Skeels of yarn in hand. He’d been dreaming quite contently in his cocoon of blankets when she’d all but kicked the door open and thrown open the curtains like some big sister from hell. Her morning person attitude did not earn her any kudos from said Kudo detective.

“I figured it would be easiest for me to just knit you some maternity sweaters instead of throwing you into a dress and wig to go shopping.” She said oh so cheerfully. 

He glared at his childhood friend, but didn’t actually voice any complaints. It was a logically sound idea and was very sweet of her to think of it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be a little angry for being so suddenly awoken. Haibara had forbidden him from drinking caffeinated coffee, and had even gone so far as to lock his coffee beans up in her lab. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper in the morning.

“I figured I should get your opinion on colors and patterns, since you’re going to be the wearing them and not me, so I brought some Skeels of yarn, and have some pictures of sweater patterns on my phone for you to look at. I’ll go make us some breakfast.”

Gingerly he picked up Ran’s phone. It was the one he’d gotten her while he was Conan (a thank you present for a sweater she’d sent him). She hadn’t locked her device. In any other setting he might have found that concerning – not everyone was willing to restrain themselves from snooping through a phone – but considering she wanted him to look through photos of sweater patterns, it made sense. He’d made it to ‘photos’ before he heard the telltale signs of the front door being slammed open. A chill danced down his spine.

“Kudo!” A familiar accented voice shouted. “A’ know yer' in here!”

He was unsurprised to see his friend Heiji march on into the living room with a scowl. He was more surprised to see Kazuha following behind, but not by much. Of course she’d tag along, someone had to keep Hattori Heiji in his place. Green eyes zeroed in on him as the angry Osakan marched on over to him. He simply gave the western detective one of his signatures deadpanned looks. Maybe there wouldn’t be too much shouting this morning, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath.

He remained sitting at the dark skinned Osakan stormed on over to his position on the couch. 

“Kudo, what the hell is going on?!” Heiji demanded. “I got a call from nee-chan telln’ me yer’ three months pregnant and that’s it! I know this ain’t a joke- neither o’ you have it in ya’ from something this tasteless!”

At least he wasn’t going to have to waste time convincing Heiji that it wasn’t an elaborate prank. He regarded the Osakan detective’s companion then sighed, Kazuha had a blank look on her face, totally confused.

“There isn’t much to explain in that regard,” He answered. “I’m pregnant – and apparently already into my second trimester at the moment, do you need me to be any clearer?”

“Why-… when-… what-… How?” Heiji managed to gape out.

His cheeks darkened a little at the final question.

“How else.” He snarled in a low voice.

“Tell me who did it.” The other detective growled.

“Wha- I don’t like the sound of that.

“And why should I do that?”

“So I can go teach that son of a bitch a lesson! No one does that to a friend o’ mine and gets away with it!”

Oh joy! His western counterpart had completely misunderstood and believed he been forced to do it against his will.

“Cool your juet’s Hattori, it wasn’t like that. I consented.” He deadpanned.

Part of Heiji’s snarl lost steam.

“W-what? Then how’d this happen?”

“2 years of pent up teen hormones, among other things.”

“So, I take it Hattori finally showed up?” Ran asked

She emerged from the kitchen with a plate of buttered toast in both hands. She gave their ‘guests’ a warm smile as she handed him breakfast.

 

“So… I Kudo really, ya’ know.” Kazuha asked.

“Yep, I have ultrasound pictures if you want proof!”

He pulled his attention from perusing sweater pictures to look at her in shock.

“Please tell me you’re joking.” He pleaded.

She simply smiled at him in that oh so surgery way of hers right before punching a wall of lamp post. It made his skin crawl. He never got an answer.

“Who’s the dad?” Heiji asked.

“Kaitou KID.”

“What?!”

So much for a quiet morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long between chapters, life happens like that.


	10. Blood in the Water

Kudo Yusaku was, for the most part, used to whatever shenanigans his wife pulled – be it running away because she thought he was having an affair or dragging them home to tease their only son. This time, however, it was not like that. Yukiko was clearly preoccupied with something, and had insisted they return to their son as soon as possible. He trusted her motherly judgment (most of the time), and if she said that they needed to see Shinichi than they visited him. He still wasn’t sure why they needed to return so suddenly, or why she’d been clutching his phone in a tight vice for the past several hours once they arrived at the nearest airport.

Getting into their seats, he decided now was a good time to broach the subject at hand. Unless he wanted to leave the matter as a surprise, but that didn’t sit well with his writer’s brain.

“Dear, what is going on? Did something happen to Shinichi?” He asked.

Yukiko snapped out of her daze and looked at him, her eyes deep with complex weaves of emotions. She simply handed him his phone back, not saying a word. He excepted the device with a raised eyebrow, but didn’t push the subject further. There was a single voicemail, sent from the manor’s house phone (he recognized the number). He raised the device to his ear and waited.

Now he understood. Yukiko was right; it was best they got back as soon as possible. There was going to be a very interesting conversation when they finally saw their son again. 

 

Snake was about ready to blow someone’s brain right out of their skull. He didn’t like having to take orders from anyone other than ‘that person’, especially not little bitches like Tonic. KID was his prey god damn it! Sure, most of the organization was gone now, but that didn’t give her the right to waltz in and take over like he didn’t exist. All of his underlings were giving him a wide radius, knowing full well that it was best not to disturb him when he was fuming like he was now. Lest someone lose a brain or heart.

He was actually wishing he were dealing with Gin, or even Vermouth! They at least had the decency to let him do his own thing for the most part, even when working with him. Tonic had forbidden him and his (technically her’s now) men from going anywhere close to the heist location. Said she wanted to “get introductions out of the way” on her own before making a proper move. Why? It wasn’t like taking KID out required rocket science, just shoot the bastard in the head and be done with it.

“And doesn’t she normally work solo, why is ‘his’ sharpest weapon going after a thief anyway?” He wondered for the nth time.

Tonic was an assassin and hitman, she eliminated threats to the organization without fail or even evidence of her intervention. She had a critical eye and an aim that never failed her, she even had a bit of knowledge in despise. She might not be Vermouth level of trickery in that department, but she was good enough to pass herself off as both a man and a woman, mask or no mask. Besides, wasn't it that Kudo brat who’d played the biggest role in the takedown? Kaito KID – as far as anyone knew – had been nowhere near the mane HQ when the FBI attacked.

“Still sulking I see,” A voice commented cooly.

He turned his head to see the woman in question walking towards him, a nerve-grating smirk on her lips. Most of her short platinum blond hair had been tucked carefully beneath her hat, making her look even more like a man despite the smooth roundness of her jaw. Her silver gaze watched him carefully, eyes practically laughing at him.

“What do you want?” He spat.

“Oh nothing, I’ve just come to remind you that we’ll be having a strategy meeting soon, and I want all of my subordinates to be present.” Tonic replied.

“Why are you even here anyway?” He snarled. “KID’s my prey, shouldn’t you be focusing on a certain detective brat?”

He saw her lips twitch in amusement. It made his blood boil.

“Who says I’m not?” She countered, voice coy.

He narrowed his eyes. Was she really implying that KID had ties to that Kudo brat? Impossible, why would a thief interact with a detective? It was counterintuitive to survival. Maybe the bitch had a few screws loose up there.

“I’ll let you get back to your sulking, but I will grab you to the meeting by your ears if you try to skip out. I refuse to let your idiocy impede my mission.”

 

He’d once been considered one of the most loyal to that man, but was that really the truth? After all, he’d gone against orders and let her live, he’d even just simply left her chained to a pipe. Instead of killing her the first time, he left her alone with an opportunity to escape as he tried to reason with ‘him’. And again he let her live, on the rooftop in the snow he could have easily killed her. Instead he aimed for her limbs, willing her to drop back down the chimney despite orders to kill her on sight. 

If she knew of his betrayal, how would she look at him? He knew Vermouth suspected something, she was no idiot. A loyal soldier does not go against orders to kill twice. If his sister knew, he’d probably be dead. She had the Apoptoxin’s formula at her disposal. Sometimes he wondered how things would have played out if he’d actually been loyal to Anoka, where would he be then?

The organization was all he’d ever known, born into this life like both their parents had been. Tonic and he were two of the deadliest weapons the boss had, both second only to Vermouth and her mastery over disguise. And now his world was over, most of the Organization was finished; only the boss and a few select factions remained as a legacy of what once was. He would make sure to neutralize Tonic and soon, she was undoubtedly hunting down traitors and any other key players in the fall.


	11. The talk of Grand Kids

He attempted to tug the hem of his shirt even lower than it already was – which was it’s lowest point possible. Shinichi felt self-conscious, like the shirt wasn’t visible fitting him like it should despite Haibara’s insistence that he hadn’t grown any in circumference yet. He swallowed an assorted handful of Haibara’s nutrients supplements before brushing his teeth. It was probably just the nerves getting to him.

Spitting out toothpaste suds and then a mouth full of guggled water, he placed his toothbrush back in its cup. He hadn’t heard from his parents yet, but knowing their spontaneous and eccentric nature, it was only a matter of hours before they jumped him. And if Hattori’s reaction to the news was any indication of what to expect, it was probably going to be a long interrogation consisting of his mother weasling the truth out of him before spending the next several hours suffering through whatever her reaction was. Hopefully she wouldn’t jump to conclusions like Hattori did and start a manhunt.

Sighing, he exited the bathroom and hade his way downstairs. Thank god it was Saturday, after being kept awake for over half the night thanks to a spell of nausea he didn’t feel like doing much more than curl up in the study and read. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Shinichi looked around. Something felt… off. Call it paranoia, but something in his head was telling him to march back up those steps and see if he couldn’t just sleep the day away. He didn’t generally feel like that unless- yeah, getting more sleep sounded like a good idea.

Pivoting on his heels, Shinichi managed to make it up one step before slender arms locked around him and he was yanked into a tornado of a hug by arms that were stronger than their slender build advertised.

“Shin-chan~” A familiar woman's voice chimed in his ear.

‘At least it’s a Saturday.’ He mentally groaned.

“Hello mom, you here alone or is dad with you?” he muttered.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. He watched his father emerge from the kitchen with a mug of coffee in hand, something Shinichi himself was banned from having for the next two years – or however long it took to finish breastfeeding (Haibara had ‘lovingly’ explained that it was possible and to expect lactation the closer he got to the due date). He glared weakly at the mug as his father raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do I want to ask how long the two fo you have been here?” he said the moment he was free of his mothers ‘hug’.

His mom simply giggled. “Sorry Shin-chan, but we only just got here around six.”

A quick glance at a clock told him that it was closing in on 9 in the morning. 

His father places the mug of temptation- er, coffee down on the low table before sitting down on one of the couches on either side. This prompted his mother to drag him over and set him down on the opposite couch before taking a seat next to her husband. It was clear they were having ‘that’ talk now and he wasn’t getting out of it. 

“So then,” His father started, taking this opportunity to grab the bull by the horns. “Is there any elaboration you need to do in regard to the voice mail you left?”

He shook his head. “No, it was as straightforward as I could make it.”

“So then, how long…” His mother didn’t need to finish that though.

“I’ve only known for about it for a few days, but Haibara and I place me at about three months along.” He answered, not daring to look his mother in the eyes.

He could practically see the former actress vibrate in her seat, hands over his lips in a poor not attempt to cover her growing smile.

“So then, who’s the father?” He father asked.

“yes, yes, who’s the lucky man that’s fathering my grandchild!” his mother pressed.

“Well, I can exactly give a proper name, I don’t have one,” He started. “The father’s the current Kaitou KID…”

His father siped at his coffee, averting his eyes as his mother squealed. He’d suspected his father at least had a suspect on who the former Kaitou KID was and thus had an idea of who the curent KID was. Maybe they knew more than he’d suspected. From his parents' reactions, it seemed like they at least were acquainted with the current KID.

“Does he know?” His father asked before his mother could do the same.

“…No. We haven’t even seen each other since the night I took the permanent antidote.” He answered.

The looks in his parent's eye prompted him to continue. He didn’t want them to misunderstand the situation and place blame on a guiltless party.

“KID’s… yes we did ‘it’ after I permanently became myself again, but he didn’t take advantage of me and I sort of instigated it.” He explained. “I haven’t told him yet because I’m still working some things out on my own.”

“Fine then, we won't intervene.” His father said finally.

“Yusake,” His mom said slowly.

“Dear, this is something Shinichi needs to work out on his own. We can always step in and tell ‘her’ if the need arises.” He explained.

His mom nodded slowly. “Fine, but,” She turned to face her son. “You really should tell him soon, maybe he isn’t at fault here, but he should at least be informed about this.”

Shinichi nodded. He knew several people in his life would blab to KID about this if he wasn’t willing to. The conversation took a lighter turn after that.

“I know we weren’t the first people you tried to contact, so who did you call first?” His mom asked.

“I called Ran first.” He answered. “But if it helps any, Dad’s phone was the second call I made on the subject.”

The talk had gone better than he’d hoped.


	12. Children are perceptive

“Ya’ sure you don’t have any problem with it?” Sera Masami asked once more.

Her mother, Mary Sera, huffed and shooed her towards the door. “I told you before, I see no problem in remaining here so you can Finish high school with your friends and Teitan high.”

Sera gave her mother a thankful-apologetic look. Even if she’d started out with intentions to do the exact opposite, the female detective would be lying if she said she hadn’t become close to a certain Mouri and Suzuki girls. For the first time in a long time she actually wanted to live a semi-normal life, finish high school with friends and then move on to college. With the organization dealt with, her mother returned to normal, the knowledge a Akai Shuuichi was in fact alive and kicking, she decided to give in to such a wish.

 

His nerves were about as overworked as they had been the day he’d told Ran the truth. He ran the hand that wasn’t already underneath his stomach over its new swell. 6 months pregnant and there was no way he’d be able to hide it now- the maternal swelling had crossed that point already! This was the first day of school he’d be attending unable to hide her ‘situation’ from the prying eyes of others. Thankfully classes would be over and done within another month or so, so he wouldn’t have to suffer for very long.  
He’d snagged one of his father’s old button downs and pulled his blazer on over that to try and at least look normal enough, not counting the new roundness to his stomach. If Haibara were here, she’d be nagging him to calm down, stress was not good for either he or the child. 

Before he could fully chicken out, someone began knocking on his front door. He grabbed his school bag and scurried over to the door. Ran greeted him with that sunny smile of her and dragged him outside. Sonoko was waiting at the gate with a board expression on her face. She gave him a questioning look as she noted the new roundness of his middle, but for once kept any comments to herself. The walk to school was quiet and uneventful with Ran and Sonoko chattering intensely between them over the latest fashion and gossip. 

Shinichi found himself caressing his stomach and smiling softly as the girls talked. Only a few months ago the little one growing inside of him had begun to Kick. When he’d jumped out of his seat in the Mouri household (thankfully Kogoro was away) the first time it had happened Ran had insisted on being a fussy older sister until she’d felt a kick herself and degenerated into aunti cooing. On more than one occasion he found himself increasingly thankful for the girl’s support. Her maternity sweaters were perfectly comfortable and she was kind enough to help him cook meals to help keep up with the baby’s growth.

 

He pushed the part of him that seriously believed the eyes of his entire class were on him into a dark corner of his mind. Sitting down made it less noticeable, to at least the teacher wouldn’t notice it. Had he always been this self-conscious, or was it just because of the hormones? H honestly wasn't sure. He’d been a little surprised to see Sera in class, a part of him had assumed that she and her mom would at least change districts, but he wasn’t particularly bothered by her presence in class. Yes, he’d felt her eyes rake down his sides with analytical criticality, but he let himself ignore it. It didn’t matter anymore if people stumbled upon the truth or not.

By the time lunch rolled around his nerves had cooled to a more manageable level. He had a nose in the newest Detective Samonji novel while the trio of girls talked as they ate. Whenever he wasn't putting food in his mouth, his hand unburdened by his book would settle on the curve of his stomach. He could feel Sera’s gaze settle on this action from over the desks, and Sonoko’s too.

“Oh, and Shinichi, remember you’re supposed to stop by Agasa hakasa’s after school.” Ran reminded him with a poke to his cheek.

“I know, Haibara won’t let me forget.” He replied.

“Hey, think it be alright if I come with?” Sera asked out of the blue.” “I want to thank ‘you know who’ for all her help.”

Shinichi mulled over it as he turned the page.

“Sure, I don’t think she’ll mind too much, just be warned that the detective boys are probably also going to be there.” He answered.

“That’s fine by me.” She replied.

 

Sonoko and Ran had decided to join them on their way to the Agasa residence, the trio chattering together as Shinichi lagged behind. He didn't feel as embarrassed about cradling his stomach in public as he did in the beginning, and often did so just because it felt right. He knew Sonoko and Sera were glancing at him oddly every so often when Ran wasn’t looking. It was hard to know just how much of the truth they suspected.

They were greeted at the front door with a literal bang as something inside exploded. He was used to the sudden explosions, but his three companions were not, he wisely kept quiet as they all practically lept out of their skin.

“Professor, We’re coming in!” He called, opening the door.

Inside he saw the 4 sets of children's shoes and heard the telltale sounds of child chattering. The shonen-tantei were seated around a table as three of the four members talked among each other quite animatedly. When Haibara caught sight of him, she placed her drink on the table and slid out of her seat. She gave Sera a quizzical look as she strode up to them.

“What can I help you with, Sera-neechan?” She asked in a slightly childish voice.

“I’m just here to ask you to pass on a thank you to ‘you know who’.” The wavy-haired girl replied with a grin.

Haibara nodded, then grabbed his hand and dragged him off for a physical.

“So then, how are you feeling?” She asked, taking blood pressure.

“Not terrible, but I could do without the morning sickness and the additional waste intake.” He replied.

“Don’t we all.” She said sarcastically, raising a stethoscope to his stomach.

A little later, with a clean bill of health, the pair returned to the common space where the others were. The three older girls were missing, but Ayumi assured them that they were just running an errand for Agasa and would be back soon.

As Shinichi, it was odd interacting with the shonen-tantei, especially since only he and Haibara knew of his past history as Conan. Still, maybe it was just maternal instincts, but it felt nice watching the four go about talking about mundane things like school and what was for lunch that day between ‘cases’. He did notice Genta staring at him, or more specifically his stomach, strangely. It wasn't that big a thing, pregnancy wasn't exactly an everyday thing to see, but Mitsuhiko and Ayumi hadn’t commented yet.

“Shinichi-niichan, are you having a baby?” Genta asked.

Shinichi narrowly managed to avoid choking on his drink as his fellow members of the shonen-tantei looked at him.

“Kojima-kun, what makes you say that?” Haibara asked carefully.

“Because he looks like my aunt did when she came to visit last year, “ Genta responded mater-o-factly.

“Well.” Haibara started slowly. “I was not expecting Kojima-kun of all people to hit the nail on the head, but I suppose life is full of surprises.”

Ayumi lit up.

“Is it really true Shinichi-niichan, are you really having a baby?” The young girl asked.

He nodded shyly. Ayumi squealed.

“Can I feel them kick?” 

Again he nodded. He watched with a smile as Ayumi carefully pressed both hands to his stomach, then squeaked when she felt the baby kick.

“Aren’t boys supposed to be unable to have babies?” Mitsuhiko asked, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

“Normally yes, but there are exceptions to that rule.” Shinichi answered.

“Shinichi-niishan, who’s the daddy?” Ayumi asked, beaming at him.

“Kaitou KID.” Haibara answered before he could say anything. The rest of the Shonen-tantei gasped.

“But isn’t Shinichi-niichan a detective and Kaitou KID a phantom thief?” Genta pointed out.

“That is true,” Shinichi agreed. “But there is more to it than just where we stand with the law. KID has helped me several times in the past when I was working on that big case of mine, we developed an understanding that led to a friendship of sorts.” He explained.

“How romantic!” Ayumi gasped, stars in her eyes. “He must be happy to be having a baby with you, you both sound really close.”

Shinichi cringed.

“Kundo hasn’t told KID that he’s having their baby yet, he’s a bit unsure of where their relationship stands at the moment.” Haibara told them.

“Then we’ve got to go tell him! Kaitou KID undoubtedly cares about Shinichi-niichan a lot!” Genta explained. Ayumi and Mitsuhiko cheered a “yeah!” in agreement. Haibarare was silently chuckling at her friends' flustered expression.

“The shonen-tantei are on the case!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Genta isn't always the sharpest of the shonen-tantei, even when you exclude Conan and Haibara, so I felt it would be nice to make him the perceptive one this time around.


	13. To Be a Good Friend

The next day Shinichi found himself seated at a local café with the girls. He only vaguely remembered how he ended up here, the baby had been practicing soccer on his kidney at the time (or at least it felt like that), so he hadn’t been paying much attention. As much as he wanted to order the blackest coffee they had, he went for a milk tea under the disapproving gaze of a watchful Ran.

“I thought for sure you’d go for a black coffee.” Sonoko said.

“Yeah, I heard from Ran how much you like the stuff.” Masumi agreed.

“Shinichi can’t have coffee at the moment, for health reasons.” Ran explained.

Ran and Haibara had tag-teamed him the day after the ultrasound to hide the stock of coffee he had on hand. Afterward Haibara had ‘lovingly’ explained that coffee was bad for a developing fetus and that he’d have to wait until the baby was no longer nursing to have the bitter drink again. The reason he’d have to wait an additional 6 to 12 months after the birth was because the caffeine would make it’s way into breast milk after ingestion, and infants younger than a year old were certainly not allowed to have the stimulant. Technically tea (depending on the kind) also had caffeine in it, but it was in such a minute amount that it couldn’t to any harm prenatal or postpartum.

He buried his nose in his book. The girls were talking about things that were far from interesting to him. Just because he knew the chemical make-up of several different cosmetics did not mean he wanted to talk about them, or the latest in cute boys, or even Kaitou KID. Even if he and the thief really did need to talk, he was the father of the baby inside his womb at the moment. He knew at the very least, KID would not be a deadbeat and leave him alone to raise a child. KID was many things, but a deadbeat was not on that list. But did he want that? Did he really want the thief in his life simply because the kleptomaniac felt obligated to help him raise their child?

He was still very confused about his own feels, but things were leaning towards the romantic spectrum. The thought of KID being there just to be a father and nothing more made his chest fell heavy. In a depressive way.

A new tenderness and weight had settled in his chest about a month back. His mother had been the one to explain –over the phone- that the reason was that a mother started producing milk before the baby was born. Haibare, whilst laughing hysterically, had explained that males were also capable of lactating because they too had nipples. His face had been red out of mortification for the next 3 hours.

A scream near the window had the entire café go silent. A woman at the table closest to the door had collapsed, her lips tinged blue behind cotton candy pink lipgloss. An hour later he and Masumu had revealed to culprit to be the ex-boyfriend who worked as a barista there. He’d added an ice cube laced with cyanide to her drink beforehand. The flaw in his plan was doing it without the use of gloves, thus getting some of the poison on his fingers.

 

After the events at the café, the fore found themselves at a local park. There wasn’t anyone else there, so the girls decided to continue talking while Shinichi sought out a bench. His ankles were starting to protest. He slumped backward, not even caring how the action pressed his shirt against his belly, making the bump more defined and noticeable. 

Ran had asked him a week earlier if he was planning on finding out what the sex of the baby growing inside of him was. He’d mulled it over beforehand, when Haibara had mentioned that it was getting close to the point where they would be able to tell. He decided to wait until his child was born, it would be the one mystery he couldn’t solve on his own. It was rare to find mundane things to surprise him, most of the surprise in his life had come from solving murders or from things related to it. That hasn't stopped people from making predictions. 

Once division 1 learned of his predicament, would people start placing bets? The homicide division was notorious for doing that. There had been bets for when Takagi would finally propose, bets for if Sato would say yes (almost everyone had placed bets down for ‘yes’, but just enough people betted ‘no’ for some reason). There was even a bet to see if Shiratori would crash the wedding. The current consensus was that if he tried Sato would make him regret it.

Shinichi lifted his head, noticing that someone was walking towards him. Sonoko was the culprit, with Ran and Masumi close behind her. Standing in front of him, with hands on her hips and her school back hanging off one wrist, the tea brunette almost looked imposing.

“I know I could probably bully the answer from Ran if I wanted to, but I’d feel better getting it from you.” She said. “Are you pregnant or just getting fat?”

Ran began sputtering, and he nearly fell sideways. Masumi looked at the heiress as if she were crazy.

“My cousin on my mom’s side is 6 months pregnant and you look just like she does.” Sonoko huffed. “So answer me already!”

Sonoko wasn’t the most attentive of people. She often missed details or would focus on a certain thing so badly her vision would tunnel and she would ignore anything else. But that didn’t mean she was completely oblivious or stupid. There were times when she had her moments of glory. It was still a surprise that it was Sonoko asking the question and not just piggybacking off of Masumi’s inquiries, but it wasn’t such a rare thing that it sounded impossible or improbable.

“…So you would believe me if I said I was pregnant?” He asked.

“What?!” Masumi yelped.

“What- I was right?” she said, looking surprised, then covered it up with triumph. “I mean, of course I was right! I am the great deduction queen Sonoko after all."

Shinichi gave her a deadpanned look.

“Er, okay, yeah, sorry.” 

Masumi was still trying to proses all of this.

“Sooo, who’s the dad?” Sonoko asked. “You’re obviously the mom. Is it someone we know? Probably not, because this clearly happened before you got back from your big case.”

Like hell he was telling her the answer to that, she’d either get angry or start fangirling.

“Is it Kaitou KID?” She asked.

Shinichi sputtered. “H-h-how?!”

Behind the tea-colored brunet, Ran snickered at him.

“What- I was right?! I was just making the most unlikely of guesses there!” Sonoko said.

“Wait- you did ‘that’ with KID?” Masumi yelped. “You do know he stripped me, right?”

Yes he did, he was there as Conan.

“Yeah, you’re brother mentioned that online.” He said. “And technically it was an accident because he mistook you for a guy.”

“I know.” Masumi said with a shrug. “But it’s really fun to lord that fact over KID fans to get a reaction out of ‘em.”

“You had KID know each other, and you didn’t tell me?!” Sonoko screeched.

It was a good thing they were alone, that screech had been pretty loud.

“Technically we had an understanding and slight partnership.” He clarified. “ this was sort of an accident.” He mentioned to his stomach.

Sonoko mulled it over.

“Well, I do have Makoto who I love very much.” Sonoko said finally. “And as much as I love KID-sama, the forbidden romance between you and him, between detective and thief is obviously stronger and more romantic.”

Masumi snickered, Ran snorted.

“I bet he must be counting down the days until the two of you become official parents!” Sonoko said.

He grimaced.

“Er, Sonoko,” Ran spoke up. “KID doesn’t know, Shinichi hasn’t told him yet.”

Both of the two looked at Ran in disbelief.

“I’m not sure where I stand emotionally, and I’m not sure where he stands either.” He said. The defense was flimsy and he knew it.

“Obviously you’re attracted to KID-sama, why else would you be acting like a love-sick school girl afraid of rejection?” Sonoko retorted.

Masumi and Ran giggled at that.

“Hey! I am not acting like a love-sick school girl!” Shinichi snapped. Sonoko ignored him.

“Well, obviously I’ll have to take matters into my own hands. As Kaitou KID’s number one fan, I’ll make sure he not only knows about this development, but of the feels your trying to hide you tsundere detective freak.” Sonoko vowed.

He groaned into his hands. Why did his life have to be like this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because even Sonoko needs her moments of glory. Seems like the next Heist will have KID running from not just Hakuba and the police, but Sonoko and the detective boys as well.


	14. A Hawke and a Raven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hakuba and Shinichi finally meet and solve a murder.

“Kyaaaa! He’s dead!”

Hakuba was no stranger to murder, back in England it was his specialty. And even though he now specialized in helping catch Kaitou KID, be still dabbled in helping solve the more bloody aspect of crime. That didn’t mean he was used to having a person drop dead within 5 meters of his person, or within earshot.

Hakuba was on his feet within a moment’s notice, but he wasn’t the first one to the body. At first he thought the teen was Kuroba and almost froze in terror (not that he’d admit feeling anything other than disdain for the magician thief). He quickly disregarded that notion. The teen was withdrawing their fingers from the victim’s neck professionally, as is this was something they did often. There was also the fact that this person had neat hair at was closer to back in color than Kuroba’s own birds' nest he called a hairstyle. Then there were the more subtle differences, such as the light skin tone and bluer eyes.

He remembered seeing that face, not just on Kuroba.

“This man is dead,” The teen said. “This is a murder scene, someone go call the police!”

The teen quickly took charge, getting help from the café’s staff to get the crime scene marked off for preservation as he guided the victim’s companion to a chair and had her sit down. He acted like Edogawa Conan might if the boy wasn’t young enough to need the help of people like Mouri Kogoro and Hattori Heiji to get things done. Now that he thought about it, the teen looked light was the boy would look like a decade older than he was without the glasses.

“Please return to your seats until the police arrive, you’ll be able to leave once they’ve cleared you.”

One man opened his mouth as though to argue with the teen, but quickly shut up when he received a sharp look from the younger male. The teen returned to the woman’s side, probably to get the victim's identity and any other details he could from her. He couldn’t hear what the teen was saying to her, but from her facial expression alone it seemed he was aiming to try and calm her down, and was succeeding in that regard. Her face went from greaving and panic to something calmer, closer to just sorrow. The teen acted like a seasoned police detective, someone whose job was to both deal with the worst of humanity and the aftermath of such actions like murder.

He finally remembered why the teen was so familiar. He walked up to the teen as the other was inspecting the victim’s overturned cup, latex gloves already covering his fingers. He brought the cup under his nose and sniffed it a few times, his lips pressed together into a grim line. He looked up when he noticed he was no longer alone. The teen’s cerulean eyes lit up with recognition and he stood up, placing the cup on the table.

“You must be the great Heisei-Holmes Kudo Shinichi. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” Hakuba said.

“And you are Hakuba Saguru, it’s a pleasure as well to finally s- meet you.” Kudo replied.

Hakuba noticed the switch in word choice, and filed it away.

“I heard about you from my cousin, Edogawa Conan.” Kudo continued.

“Oh? Edogawa-kun is your relative? That explains the resemblance.” He responded.

After hearing about the fellow high school detective from his father, he wanted to meet the other teen. It required a certain level of genius to earn the title of modern-day Holmes, It had been a shame when the teen had slipped out of the public eye from the past 2 years, but he had made his grand resurgence by tacking down an intricate crime syndicate with the aid of the FBI. That alone was an impressive feat of skill and cunning.

“I look forward to working with you, Kudo-kun.”

“And I the same, Hakuba-kun.”

“The victim is 27-year-old Hiroshi Shirotaro, he was here with his fiance, Nabanu Chie for lunch.” Kudo-kun informed.

Hakuba nodded as he pulled his own pair of latex gloves on. He kept one eye on his work and another on Kudo. The fellow teen detective was just as methodical about inspecting a crime scene as he was, drawing a critical eye over places both obvious and inconspicuous for even the tiniest of detail. He was also very formal and spoke as such, a far cry from Kuroba and his trickster ways.

He did notice some odd things about the Heisei-Holmes. Kudo had trouble bending over, the swelling of his stomach preventing him from doing so easily. Kudo also often kept a spare hand under said stomach when he was standing, along with the habit of shifting his weight from foot to foot if he wasn’t moving. He hadn’t noticed it from afar because of how like the sweater had had on was, but up close he could see just how disproportionate Kudo’s middle was compared to the rest of him. He wouldn’t call Kudo petty exactly, but his arms and legs were thinner, more toned, indicating he was actually on the thinner side than what his stomach implied. Then there was the fact that Kudo’s stomach was taut and firm, he could see that much from the way the sweater’s material fell on it. Body fat sagged because its physics were closer to that of a liquid, muscles were closer to a solid, but wouldn’t cause bulging like what he saw on Kudo.

Ha had an idea of what ‘ailed’ the detective, but it shouldn’t be biological be possible. “When you have eliminated the impossible, what’s left, however improbable, it the truth.” Ultimately, he’d have to ask Kudo for the answer… This was going to be awkward.

When the police arrived, they were able to obtain statements. The patrons who had been too far away from the crime had been let go, including the man who had almost argued with Kudo. That reduced the number of suspects down to the café’s staff and a handful of patrons. The cup was being tested to identify what poison was used to kill the victim. Cyanide had been crossed off the list quickly for obvious reasons. Cyanide had an almost smell to it, but the cup and the victim had lacked this distinct characteristic. There hadn’t been anything on the table beside the victim’s cup of coffee and his fiance's milk tea. The pair hadn’t been there long enough to order food, so the coffee was the logical place to find the poison.

“The results are in, the coffee was laced with a cardiogenic toxin, the victim died from the resulting cardiac arrest.” An officer informed them.

Cardiogenic toxins weren't the most go-to poison of choice to kill a person, but poison was poison. Kudo turned his attention to a potted plant by the door.

“Actaea pachypoda, also known as white baneberry,” He said. “They also have a third name; ‘doll’s eyes’, this name comes from the white barries they produce in late summer. Those barries contain Cardiogenic toxins.”

“How long has the plant been there?” Hakuba asked the owner.

“I think my wife got it a year and a half ago. I know the berries are dangerous so I put it away when they start growing.” The man replied. “The break room is well shaded but get’s enough sunlight to keep it happy.”

So the employees had easy access to the barries. That didn’t eliminate the few patrons they had, but it did make the employees more suspicious.

“That’s the last bit of evidence I needed,” Kudo said.

He pointed a gloved finger at a waitress one of the waitresses, the lady with a long brown ponytail.

“You are the culprit, miss Fujinao Suzana.”

“What?! For what reason are you declaring me the killer!” She snarled. “I didn’t touch his damn coffee even once!”

“You didn’t have to, the poison was in the creamer.” Kudo explained. “I noticed something was off with the creamer at the table, the creamer container used was the same brand, but a different make.”

Looking at photos of two containers of coffee creamer, it was clar the one that had been on the victim’s table was a light blue than the ones the café had on hand at the moment.

“Oh, the company stopped using that type of container almost three months ago. We don’t carry creamers for that long. We should’ve been out of them already.” One of the barista's said.

“You know, I remember Hiroshi-kun asking about that. He said the new creamer isn’t as sweet and had wanted to know if we still had any of the old ones on hand.” Another waitress piped up.

“And how does that make me the killer?” Fujinao snarled.

“Because you knew Hiroshi-san’s preferences, the two of you dated in the past.” Kudo answered. “You knew he’d go for that type of creamer for his coffee. All you had to do was make sure it was available to him and only him. This isn’t as hard as a task as it sounds.

“You coworker informed me that things had been hostile between the two of you after the break-up, and that it had become worse after he started seeing Nabanu-san. Your motive to kill was out of jealousy, probably when Hiroshi-san announced his engagement to Nabanu-san, it was the last straw for you.”

Fujinao was trembling with anger, lips curled back into a snarl. Hakuba was a little worried for Kudo’s safety, people, like animals, had a habit of becoming violent when cornered.

“And how does that prove that I killed him?!”

“The other creamer containers. You brought multiple with you in case one was thrown out. I found one next to your purse in the break room, it had fallen out when the purse had been tipped over.” Kudo said. “If we examine your purse, we’ll likely find the rest of the poisoned creamers.”

Fujinao’s angry expression fell away. She was caught.

She let out a sigh. “While in America, one of my relative’s kids’ almost died from eating a few white baneberries, I got the idea from that.” She explained. “The rest is as he said, I was jeoloce and thought that if I couldn’t have him, no one else should.”

The two teen detectives watched in silence as the police took custody of Fujinao. Kudo’s face was a mask of indifference, but he seemed to hold tighter to his stomach. He’d heard rumors in division one that Kudo stumbled across corpses regularly, and from the way he’d reacted it seemed to be true. Seeing so much death on such a regular bases and not breaking down to become a shut-in took strength of will, strength Hakuba wasn’t sure he’d have if he were in Kudo’s place.

“I’ve seen people kill for lesser reason than just out of jealousy, it’s tragic that such petty emotions can drive people to kill.” Kudo said.

Kudo had probably seen the absolute worst humanity had to offer. How was a person able to delve into such darkness and not be consumed by it?

 

“Kudo,”

The other detective looked at him curiously.

“Yes, Hakuba?”

Curiosity killed the cat, hopefully satisfaction will bring it back.

“Are you by chance pregnant?”

He felt a bit stupid for asking, but it was the only answer he could come up with that worked. Even if it was particularly illogical.

Kudo winced.

“Yeah, I really shouldn’t be surprised people are noticing now.” He muttered.

Wait, he was right?

“I’m just a little over six months pregnant.” Kudo admitted.

Hakuba felt his brain stop, and not in the world breaking way Kuroba managed to pull off. He hadn’t actually expected to be right, even if to was the only answer that explained things (it did bring up more questions though, like who the father was).

“When you have eliminated the impossible, what’s left, however improbable, it the truth.” 

“That about sums up my life for the past 2 years.” Kudo replied.

For once, Hakuba didn’t want to know what that meant.


	15. Bitter, Bitter Emotions

“I’m surprised you haven’t rushed to your raven’s side yet, isn’t he important to you?” Akako asked, half hiding a smile behind one hand.

Kaito Shot the witch an unamused glare. Why was she tormenting him like this, did she just like seeing him suffer that much? He still didn’t understand all of her prophecy or whatever the prediction had been. He got that ‘raven’ was probably Meitantei, given that ravens were often associated with death, and the young detective was constantly being followed by death. But the bits about nesting and eggs confused him. 

“You warned me that he’s not in the best shape to deal with the crows, why would I risk creating an even greater connection with myself and Meitantei if it puts him at risk?” He muttered.

“Oh? But surely a single visit wouldn’t be harmful, even a weakened raven still has it’s talons.” Akako pointed out. “And it’s not like you’d let anything happen to your beloved. You’d double that notion if you’d just figure of the rest of my prediction already.”

The Kuroba groaned. Akako had been teasing him with that bit for days now. He hadn’t figured out what she’d meant by “You’re beloved raven in beginning to nest, a healthy dove’s child safe and warm beneath soft downy” other than it had something to do with him and Meitantei. Birds nested when they laid eggs, his doves did it often enough themselves for him to know that. But just what was she trying to imply? She couldn’t be literal with the whole egg thing, for obvious reasons. Just because he was chasing a magic gem, and knew a person who’d been turned into a kid with the power of science, did not mean the rules of biology still didn’t apply.

“The hawk has a hint that will help you figure the rest out.” Aoko said at last before returning to her seat.

Now what did she mean by that? He knew the red witch hadn’t spilled the beans to Hakuba, she didn’t want to turn him over to the police after all. But how could Hakuba have a hint if he was out of the loop? Meh, he’d just have to ask the blond about it later today.

 

With his mind still on the revelation from yesterday, Hakuba entered the classroom. Kuroba was quiet again that morning, but judging by the looks Koizumi gave him, the two had been talking again. How odd. Wasn’t Kuroba normally wary of her? When did their relationship level out?

“Ah, Hakuba! Good morning!” Aoko Nakamori said, greeting him.

He offered the girl a warm smile. She was more than a little rough around the edges, but she was genuine and likable. And kept Kuroba in his place, thank the gods.

“The same to you, Nakamori-chan.” He replied politely.

It was moments like these that she and her father were a stark contrast. But given the right button-pushing, she was as fierce and driven as the elder Nakamori was. Maybe even more so.

“Nakamori, have you heard of Kudo Shinichi?” He asked.

Nakamori’s eyes sparkled. “Have I heard of him? Of course!” She said. “He’s amazing at solving crimes. It’s a shame he only words with homicides, ‘cause I think if you, Dad, and him were to team up KID would be behind bars in no time!”

“Hah, like that would ever happen.” Kuroba interjected. “Kudo might be smart and resourceful, but even he’s still no match for KID.”

Nakamori gave her childhood friend a sour look. Kuroba only smiled at her.

“So, why are you bringing him up?” Kuroba asked.

“Oh? No reason, it’s just that yesterday I got to work with him to solve a case.” Hakuba replied.

Nakamori squealed.

“How did it go? What was it like? Was his deduction as dramatic as the papers make it out to be? Who was the murderer?”

“Was he as radiant in person as he is in the papers?”

Nakamori and Hakuba looked at Kuroba.

“What? Can’t a guy have multiple interests?”

“Yes, but aren’t you a KID fan?” Nakamori pointed out. “Why would you be a fan of a teen detective, especially one who came the closest to catching your beloved thief?”

“Hu, what do you mean?”

“Kudo-kun once worked with my dad to try and catch KID during the clocktower heist. He actually cornered KID several times with the help of the ground officers.” She explained.

Hakuba hummed in amazement.

“Apparently he didn’t even know who it was he was chasing. He was getting a helicopter ride from Megure-keibu and just happened to notice the heist.”

“Technically the KID-killer got the closest.” Kuroba pointed out. “He cornered KID several times, and without too much help from the cops.”

“Maybe, but a kid his age shouldn’t have been there in the first place. KID might have a ‘no one gets hurt’ policy, but even he can’t keep an eye on everyone all the time.” Nakamori pointed out. “Anyhow, Hakuba was going to tell us how his case with Kudo went.”

“He acted very fast, by the time I was standing up he already was working with the staff to secure the crime scene in preparation for the police and make sure no potential suspects or witnesses were allowed to leave the café.” Hakuba explained. “He was also very perceptive, noticing the victim’s creamer cup was different from the rest, and that the café had a poisonous plant. By asking the right questions he was able to cut down the list of suspects to the staff. By then he’d already had a suspect, and all the evidence for a conviction was in place.

“His deduction was a bit like a drama, unfolding as he explained the order of events after singling out his suspect. By the end of it, he had his suspect cornered with hard evidence.”

“See? This is why I like Kudo, he’s just as much a showman as myself and KID.” Kuroba responded.

“He’s nothing like you or KID!” Nakamori shot back. “Unlike you, he doesn’t prank people, and he doesn’t steal things like KID!”

“So Hakuba, I heard that Kudo really liked Sherlock Holmes, I bet you and him become Holmes buddies real quick.” Kuroba said with a sly grin.

“Oh yes, we did have a nice talk about Holmes after the case was over, but it wasn’t the only thing we talked about.” Hakuba replied. “We talked about Night Baron as well, Kudo Yusaku’s books are good as well.”

“Oh yeah, Kudo’s father is the famous novelist behind the Night Baron series, I heard he works with the police sometimes as a consultant.” Nakamori said. “I suppose it’s why Kudo-kun chose to become a detective, growing up among mysteries like he did.”

“Then he must have gotten his dramatics from his mom, Kudo Yukiko.” Kuroba said. “I wonder if he got her acting skills as well.”

“Maybe, pregnancy isn’t the easiest thing to hide.” Hakuba mused. The words were out before he caught himself.

The two gave him quizzical looks. Kudo Shinichi hadn't outright said that it was a secret, but he was being secretive about hit situation. He pondered his options. Beika and Ekoda were very close to each other, the districts were neighbors technically. And Kid often went to Ekoda when Jeroki challenged him. Nakamori and Kuroba were good at keeping secrets (Kuroba especially), and Nakamori would keep Kuroba in line if they ever met the other teen detective.

“I suppose both of you can keep quiet.” He said finally. “While I was working with Kudo, I noticed a few things, things that lead to me form an outlandish hypothesis that I was not expecting to be true; Kudo is around six months pregnant.”

Hakuba noticed the odd flash of emotion on Kuroba’s face before he hid it behind a twin mask of surprise to match Nakamori.

“He’s what!?” She screeched. “He’s only three months away and he’s still chasing murderers?!”

“Technically he finds them by chance, he’s often in the area when they happen,” Hakuba explained. “His sense of morality drives him to solve them.”

“So the rumor about him being a shinigami were true!” Kuroba cackled.

Nakamori punched him I the arm. “Bakato! That’s rude! Kudo can’t help his bad luck!”

 

So she was being literal.

Kaito found his thoughts wandering during class. He hadn’t been expecting her prediction to be so literal, but that was Akako for you, always doing the unexpected. It gave him more reason to keep away from his meitantei, he refused to put parent and unborn child in danger.

He shoved his feelings of jealousy aside. He was a thief and Kudo was a detective, it wouldn’t work out. No matter how much he wanted to, Kudo was someone else's. He would do his best to keep the crows distracted, it was the least he could do. Even with animosity gnawing at his belly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Kairo's defense, no one was really expecting Shinichi to become pregnant. And he doesn't know that Shinichi's stayed 'faithful', he has no reason to believe that the child is his.


End file.
